In 2022, Dutch agriculture lost 74% (312,000 tons) of the nitrogen it spread as manure and synthetic fertilizer to the air and soil. Synthetic fertilizer production alone is also the cause of nearly 2% of global CO<sub>2</sub> emissions <ahref="#cite5">[5]</a>. In addition to water pollution by leakage of nitrate, pollution in the air due to the conversion to N<sub>2</sub>O leads to a global greenhouse effect equivalent to 10% of that caused by the increase in atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub><ahref="#cite6">[6]</a>. For staple crops like cereals and maize, up to 40% of a farm’s operating cost is spent purchasing fertilizer <ahref="#cite4">[4]</a>. Rising prices for fertilizer have been one of the problems leading to farmers' protests in Europe, and efforts to reduce nitrogen emissions in the Netherlands have been met with its own wave of protests <ahref="#cite7">[7]</a>.
Over-fertilization poses major ecological and health risks like harmful algal blooms and atmospheric pollution, but fertilizer multiplies crop yield which is essential for the rising global population and food demand. This emphasizes the need for an alternative environmental-friendly solution. This can not only make a huge impact on the Netherlands, but also globally, by enabling a sustainable and food secure future.
